Reight good idea wasn't it? As was his design a badge idea. What next? Find a new mascot? How about getting 11 players togethee who give a **** about pulling on a red shirt.
THat's not his job though is it? Some seem to be forgetting that. Our badge isn't amazing - there's scope for something better. Ok, the options given were poor but the idea was probably right. Not sure what the problem was with going out and meeting the fans. I thought that was a good idea.
The badge is our town crest, so how amazing should it be ? Agree about the pub tours thought they were a good idea, shame they didn't come to the west of the borough
I think that's very harsh on Mansford for me he's started something that's well overdue. We have been saying the club need to interact more with fans to bring them closer together he started unfortunately the team's performances have put this on hold. He didn't just say we were having a new badge he gave the opportunity to keep the current one, so far this has been a very testing season for his first year in the job.
i think ben mansford should be applauded for his efforts to engage the fans. the pub tours were a good idea, and were scrapped for the right reasons. the brand refresh was a good idea, and the club responded to fans' feedback. i've been very impressed with what i've seen and heard from him
I think the difference in approach engaging with the fans was seen just the other day when Micky mellon and Ian Wilcox were shown the door. It wasnt long before Ben had recorded an audioboo to put our in way of an explanation.
The thinking behind it was to give the football club a professional look and feel, a brand if you like. A good idea that perhaps needed some better understanding of the fans in the implementation. And like its been pointed out, staying with what we had was always an option!
Gally, the CEO does have control. Good example is that he is the boss of the management/coaching staff, yet allowed Mickey Mellon to stay on as assistant to DW. Even at the time of DW's appointment, this looked a mistake........several games (and lost points) later, their is "admission" it was a mistake and Mickey Mellon is gone. This does have a DIRECT influence on first team activities. OK, Ben Mansford isn't putting his boots on and playing left back (although he would be an improvement over TK) but he does have control, a lot of control, on the playing side.
Danny Wilson went on record to say he wanted to keep Micky Mellon. He also went on record to say it was his decision to get rid of him.
Ive never heard that. DW came into BFC knowing he had Mickey Mellon, but my opinion, both at the original time and current, is that Ben Mansford should have "swept the room clean" when Flitcroft went. He didn't and it was a mistake.
It was all done with good intentions by a bloke who wanted to blow a bit of fresh air through the club - because hell fire dosent it need it. Unfortunately for Ben he didn't realise that the vast majority of Barnsley fans are stuck in a time warp somewhere between 1952 and 1959. With none of them understanding the word 'change'. And now he gets blamed for whats happening on the field...........that's just plain daft
Think Mansford is trying to engage with the fans which is a lot more than Don Rowing ever tried to. The free school tickets for the Yeovil match, Sky TVs in the stands, free drinks for away fans at Bournemouth and Brighton and having a column in the programme asking fans to contact him with any ideas/suggestions has all been good stuff. Still a lot of work to do and the pub tours should have continued even with the bad form as it would have shown the club was still trying to get out and about even during the bad days, otherwise it looks as though they are burying their head in the sand.